Pfeiffer Vacuum orders DREEBIT ion beam system from TU Darmstadt

Pfeiffer Vacuum has received an important order from the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany to deliver a DREEBIT ion beam system to the university for use in its Institute of Nuclear Physics. Researchers from the Darmstadt LaserSpHERe (Laser Spektroskopie an hochgeladenen Ionen und exotischen radioaktiven Nukliden, Laser Spectroscopy of Highly Charged Ions and Exotic Radionuclides) working group will carry out various cutting-edge atomic physics, nuclear physics and particle physics precision experiments at the institute, among which laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions and exotic short-lived isotopes is the research focus. The research project is supported by the German Science Foundation (DFG) SFB 1245 Special Research Department.

At the end of 2014, the Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt began to build the large-scale scientific research equipment "Kollineare Apparatur für Laserspektroskopie und angewandte Physik, KOALA" (Collierial Equipment for Laser Spectrometry and Applied Physics), and the ion beam system ordered this time is to be used in this equipment. The EBIS-A ion source used in this system can generate charged ions of various light chemical elements for experiments, and these ions will be connected to the beam guide device of the KOALA equipment. In order for the particles to move as freely as possible in the beam guide tube, a pure ultra-high vacuum environment is essential, and maintaining this low-pressure environment must rely on extremely powerful and reliable vacuum generation technology. This is especially true for the new ion source system, in which all relevant vacuum components are provided by Pfeiffer Vacuum Group, which allows ions to stay in it for a longer time.

Figure: DREEBIT ion beam system, which can produce charged particles for experiments

Just as fireworks can present various colors, each element emits and absorbs certain specific wavelengths of light, and the corresponding range is extremely precise, and the human eye perceives these wavelengths as different colors. The color depends on the type of chemical element and the charge state of the atoms. High-precision wavelength measurement can not only provide information about the type of chemical element and its charge state, but also determine the size of the nucleus if compared with high-precision theoretical calculations.

Professor Dr. Wilfried Nörtershäuser, head of the working group at TU Darmstadt, explains the technical advantages of the KOALA beamline: "Until now, spectroscopic measurements of atomic radii have only been possible on hydrogen-like systems with just one electron, because only then could theoretical calculations be sufficiently accurate. However, a major disadvantage of such simple atomic systems is that the wavelengths used are in the far ultraviolet region of the spectrum and are therefore difficult to capture with existing laser systems, if the experimental requirements are taken into account. However, current technology is already expected to achieve sufficient accuracy for more complex helium-like systems with two electrons. Their wavelengths are much easier to capture with laser systems, which will make it possible in the future to determine the nuclear radii of atoms from helium to nitrogen significantly more precisely. The KOALA facility provides the ideal prerequisites for this, once the DREEBIT ion beam system with EBIS-A ion source is installed."

Figure: Schematic diagram of the KOALA (Kollineare Apparatur für Laserspektroskopie und angewandte Physik, co-linear equipment for laser spectroscopy and applied physics) beamline

Since its founding in 2006, DREEBIT GmbH has developed and marketed various types of ion sources, such as EBIS and ECRIS, in its "Ion Beam Technology" division. They are primarily installed in various particle accelerators for scientific and medical applications, such as ion beam therapy. DREEBIT GmbH has been a part of the Pfeiffer Vacuum Group since 2017 and focuses on the development of special systems and the servicing of vacuum products. Currently, the company has locations in Dresden and Großröhrsdorf, Germany, and employs around 70 people.